This year, Friends of the Wissahickon will launch a study that addresses the growing risk of flooding in the park.

FOW’s Streambank Resiliency and Flood Study will identify places along Forbidden Drive and seven other access trails in Wissahickon Valley Park that are most vulnerable to flooding and erosion. The report will then list suggestions for future restorations projects and their cost estimates.

The study was one of the plans mentioned in FOW’s annual public projects meeting on Jan. 28, where representatives from the nonprofit and city agencies provided updates on major initiatives for the park.

The organization received a $55,000 grant from the state to conduct the flood study, which will kick off in about a month, said Pauline Berkowitz, director of capital projects for FOW. FOW will conduct community engagement surveys and host public meetings about the report, which will help inform FOW’s future stormwater management projects.

Berkowitz said the study will build on a 2017 assessment, in which a consultant for an FOW project analyzed stormwater issues around Forbidden Drive and Wissahickon Creek.

During severe storms, the Wissahickon Creek can flood Forbidden Drive and cut away at the stream banks in steeper areas. Climate change is increasing the flooding risk in Philadelphia, and Berkowitz said increasing development around Wissahickon Valley Park can cause more stormwater to flow into the green space.

“Because the park is at the bottom of the Wissahickon watershed, we’re really taking in water from all sides,” she said.

As the number of storm water events have increased, so has the number of visitors to the park. Wissahickon Valley Park receives more than two million visitors annually. Before 2021, the average was around one million.

“That level of high visitorship combined with these high frequency and severity stormwater events results in having infrastructure that can’t keep up with that pressure. The study is a response to that,” Berkowitz told the Local.

FOW has selected a consultant for the study but declined to reveal their name until the contract is finalized.

First All Persons trail

FOW plans to create the first All Persons trail in Wissahickon Valley Park. This type of path is designed for people of all abilities, including those with mobility challenges, and it tends to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. FOW’s trail will have flat surfaces, minimum slopes and multiple rest areas, Lawson Schultz, FOW’s capital projects coordinator, said in the meeting.

The All Persons trail is part of the second phase of the ongoing Germantown Neighborhood Connection project, which aims to increase Germantown residents’ access to Wissahickon Valley Park.

“To have a more inclusive trail system within our park, we need to be thinking about how people of all abilities are able to enjoy and interact with the space,” Berkowitz told the Local. “And this project presented a great opportunity to pilot this type of trail development.”

The trail will be situated north of Walnut Lane between Lincoln Drive and Morris Street, by the Four Freedoms House senior living community, Schultz said, and it will tentatively span around 1,200 feet. Appalachian Mountain Club, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit, will begin the design this spring and construction is expected to start in 2027. FOW has consulted groups and community leaders in Germantown on the project and will host an in-person meeting later this year to gather the public’s input on the design.

“One of the goals of this project is to ensure that current Germantown residents feel welcome and excited about these improvements and feel a sense of belonging and ownership over the project,” Schultz said in the meeting.

FOW also plans on wrapping up the first phase of the Germantown Neighborhood Connection project this year by upgrading a sidewalk on Harvey Street and installing a midblock crosswalk.

On Feb. 11, the organization will host a virtual public meeting about the project with Councilmember Cindy Bass, who’s partially funding the upgrade. Residents can register for the meeting at tinyurl.com/fowfeb11.

Walnut Lane project

A city official provided updates on a project that addresses safety issues on Walnut Lane, between Henry and Wayne avenues.

That corridor recorded 40 crashes from 2019 to 2023, said Jacob Elliott, a Complete Streets Project Coordinator for the city. And residents have expressed concerns about pedestrian safety, speeding, number of bus stops, sidewalk gaps, park access and lack of upgrades to bike facilities, Elliott said at the meeting.

The city has gathered public feedback on proposed changes to the corridor, including replacing street parking with two-way separated bike lanes on Walnut and installing a shared-use path by Blue Bell Park.

The project now needs funding for construction and officials are reviewing design concepts with city engineers, Elliott said.

At an open house in Roxborough last May, residents approved of the design options, but said their feedback carried no weight without project funding, Resolve Philly reported. They also stressed the urgency of addressing safety issues in the corridor.

Stormwater management

This year, FOW will continue two stormwater management projects. Every year, sediment gets carried into the Wissahickon Creek due to rain, snow melt and other causes, Berkowitz said at the meeting. This hinders the creek’s water quality.

In partnership with the Philadelphia Water Department, the organization is restoring an eroding 500-foot gully along the trail behind Pachella Ball Field. During a storm, water runs off Henry Avenue and forms channels along the access trail, Berkowitz said. Roughly 22,000 pounds of sediment and 34 pounds of phosphorous flow into Wissahickon Creek around this area every year.

The initiative will involve installing infiltration basins, trailside gutters and other infrastructure to capture stormwater. FOW needs to secure more funding before construction starts.

“On a nice day, this trail can get upwards to about 600 visitors a day, so it’s important that it be protected,” Berkowitz said.

Up north, FOW will design and permit a plan focused on mitigating stormwater runoff by the Wissahickon Environmental Center. The organization plans to tackle a 440 linear foot-long stormwater channel and the adjacent access road between the center and Forbidden Drive, Berkowitz said at the meeting. Environmental engineers connected to the project estimated that around 100,000 of sediment gets discharged into Wissahickon Creek every year.

Volunteer news

In addition to partnering with the city and other organizations, FOW has big plans for its volunteers. These include trail improvements at Andorra Meadow, the Yellow Trail at Wises Mill Road and the connector between upper Valley Green Lot and Lida Way pedestrian bridge, which is named after a retired Chestnut Hill couple. Volunteers will conduct habitat restoration by the Red Covered Bridge, Hermitage Mansion and slopes near Kitchens Lane.

Upcoming volunteer events include the Lincoln Drive Clean-Up on April 4, Earth Day Service event on April 18, the Annual Creek Clean-up on April 25, the Love Your Park service event on May 9 and National Trails Day on June 6.

Those interested in participating can visit fow.org/volunteering for more information.

Abby Weiss is an environmental reporter for the Local and a Report for America corps member. She can be reached at abby@chestnuthilllocal.com.